who would've thought? (Crown The Empire FF)

Chapter 2

Brandon helped me up and got up as well. He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed, making the popcorn to fly out of my mouth. "Everything alright in there?" I heard Dave ask from the living room. I hated him so much right now. I didn't think that I could hate so much but boy was I wrong. "Everything's fine, she's just getting choked up." I was able to catch my breath, although my eyes were watery. "Brandon, maybe you should go home," my dad said. Brandon let go of me and began to walk away but I pulled him back. "no, he's staying." "I don't want them to think you two have something go on." "Well maybe they should because im not marrying some jerk like Escamilla. I'd rather die. If you want me to go out there, he's staying." My dad shrugged and pushed Brandon and I, in front of him and made us walk to our spacious living room. We sat on our couch, down across from David and his dad.

"Can we just cut right to the chase?" I asked in an unamused tone. They nodded. Brandon simply held my hand, in a friendly, unromantic way, squeezing it to calm me down. "I'm asking for your hand in marriage," Dave said with a smile. I felt sick to my stomach, I wanted to throw up. I grabbed the trashcan next to me and deposited what was in my stomach. Brandon held my hair back. After barfing, I said, "thanks, but no thanks." "No?" They both asked confused. "Yea, um no. I'm good, like I'm REALLY good by myself." "You can't say no," his dad said. "I just did, sir." "I don't like your attitude." "I don't like what your purposing I do." "If my son wants you, he will get you." "If I don't want your son, I won't get your son." He gasped, "never have I been talked back to." "Probably cause no one has the balls to." "MONICA!" my dad yelled. I just rolled my eyes. "I like her...she's demanding," his dad said. I nearly choked on air. "I refuse to marry your son. End of story, I'm not changing my mind." "Honey, if my son doesn't marry you, who will?" That's when I lost it, "LISTEN HERE TUBBY, THE ONLY REASON YOU EVEN HAVE A SON IS BECAUSE YOUR PARENTS FORCED YOU INTO MARRIAGE, K?!" Brandon looked at me with shock, so did everyone else. Dave sent me a smirk, okay now HE was confusing ME.

"Your mother should've ran away with you! She was a good for nothing piece of trash! She's probably dead by now! The white emp-" "DON'T TALK ABOUT MY MOTHER THAT WAY YOU IGNORANT PIECE OF SH-" just then Brandon covered my mouth. Good thing he did or else I probably would've been punished but I wasn't holding anything back. "You better get used to my mouth IF I marry your son!" "What do you mean IF? You ARE going to marry my son and that is finally or else!" "Dad calm down," Dave said. "Look Monica, I like you I really do. You hold nothing back like Dave does. You guys would be great together. I'm sorry for upsetting you but you really don't have a say in this," Dave's dad said truthfully. "Why not?" I asked more calmly. "Because, that's just how things roll here. You saying no will look bad for the Empire, people will think they won't have to listen to us. It will cause chaos. Plus, our enemies will fear us and won't want war. They'll see how good you and Dave are and won't mess with us. You will be treated like royalty, you'll get a new wardrobe, you'll live in the castle, you will wealthy, etc." "What if I don't want-" just then I was cut off by my dad, "may I have a word with my daughter for a second your highness." "Of course." "It's not like we needed your permission," I muttered. Brandon got up and went to the restroom while my dad pulled me to my room.

He looked upset. "What's wrong with you?! Why would you even deny this or argue with them?!" "Um why would I?! I don't care about them! I don't even so much as like Dave in any way possible! They chose me off my strength! I like being here with you and doing normal things! I like not being watched my guards every single second of my life!" "Monica this is good for you! You have to say yes, if you don't...." "If i don't what?" "I will disown you...i will have send you away! There's nothing left for you out there! It's just us, the black EMPIRE!" Just then he looked under my mattress and saw the piles of stories i had been writing. "I will show them these and have you thrown in the dungeon!" He then grabbed all my papers that i had worked so hard on, and ripped them to shreds. I cried and fell to my knees. "You monster! I thought you loved me!" He looked at me with a blank face with tears in his eyes. I could tell he didn't mean this but I dont understand why he was still doing it. "Say yes," then he walked away. I wiped my tears and grabbed the shredded papers, trying to put them together. He took away happiness, my escape. The thing that made me different from everyone.

I walked out my room, and sat down on the couch. I sighed, God please let this be temporary. "Yes, I will marry your son." Brandon gave me a questioning look, I shrugged. Just then Dave gave me the biggest smile on Earth, maybe this is what he meant when he said he would get me back. He slid the big diamond ring onto my finger. I looked at it without interest. He then kissed me on the cheek. "Let's go, shall we?" He asked. I got up, and hugged Brandon, "I'll call you at night," I whispered into his ear. He nodded. I didn't even bother saying good bye to my father.

*

I walked into the castle, the butler tried taking my coat but I didn't allow it. Dave lead me to my room, it was beautiful. It had black roses printed on the wall. A chandelier was hanging from the ceiling. The bed was a king sized bed, held up by a wooden platform. Gold outlined the abstract pattern on the bed sheets. I sat down on the bed, he joined me. "Why did you choose me?" I asked. "I've had the biggest crush on you since I can remember..." He said shyly. "Oh." "Look I know you don't like me but I didn't want things to be like this. I wanted to ask you out on a date, make you my girlfriend, date for a couple years, then get married." "Double oh." "You're beautiful you know. I don't know if anyone's ever told you that but you are." I coughed. "Thanks, you too pal???" He chuckled. "You know the only reason I've ever been a jerk to you is because I like you. You what they say 'If he's mean to you, he likes you.'" "Why didn't you just treat me nicely?" "Cause then it'd be too obvious. But the way you stood up to my dad made me like you even more." I nodded, not looking up. "Well ima get some sleep, you should too," he said. I nodded and said good night. After I said that he pecked me on the lips and said good night ; he left. When he left I locked my room and called Brandon. "My dad, he forced me to say yes. He threatened me. I can't be here," I cried. "Dude what the heck! Why would he do that?! I'm so sorry." After telling him what Dave said, I cried myself to sleep, not wanting to wake up the next morning.